In wake of death, DA says police need more training

LOWELL -- The Middlesex District Attorney's Office is recommending Lowell police provide additional training to employees and update policies and procedures in the wake of the death of a 31-year-old woman who was in police custody.

District Attorney Marian Ryan made the recommendations at the conclusion of her office's investigation into the death of Alyssa Brame of Lowell, who was arrested on Jan. 12 and found dead in her cell shortly after midnight on Jan. 13.

An autopsy revealed Brame died of alcohol poisoning as she lay in her cell.

Ryan's office investigated whether criminal charges were warranted against police personnel charged with supervising prisoners, but concluded they were not.

The matter is now in the hands of Lowell police, who said in a prepared statement that a three-member board of inquiry will review the matter to determine if internal discipline is warranted.

The one-paragraph statement issued by police makes no mention of the district attorney's recommendations.

"I'm absolutely disgusted," said Brame's mother, Alice Swiridowsky-Muckle. "It's clearly being addressed by the DA, but then the Police Department gets that long thing (Ryan's statement), everything is spelled out, and they address it with one paragraph."

Swiridowsky-Muckle said she is waiting for a lot more answers.

"I want to make sure the proper training goes into effect so somebody else's life isn't lost," Swiridowsky-Muckle said.

Advertisement

"I want to make sure they followed the protocol they were supposed to follow that night, and if it wasn't followed the people who didn't do their jobs shouldn't have their jobs."

Ryan's statement says Brame was placed in a holding cell even though she was too intoxicated to be booked following her arrest. It also states no one called for an ambulance until 14 minutes after Brame was found not breathing.

The following timeline of events was provided via Ryan's statement:

Brame was arrested on a charge of offering sexual conduct for a fee at 10:33 p.m. The arresting officer noted Brame was drunk, and said her speech was slurred but understandable. She was able to stand.

Brame was taken to the police station and observed by an officer in charge.

Ryan said several officers noted Brame was "highly intoxicated. Brame was not speaking and her eyes were closed, but she appeared to be breathing normally and was not in distress.

"Because she was not able to be booked in her condition, she was placed in the first cell in the cell block area at approximately 10:57 p.m.," Ryan wrote. "Officers reported that she was breathing, however, she was not moving."

If a prisoner is sent to the hospital, an on-duty officer must be pulled off the street to guard the prisoner at the hospital. Cells are under constant video surveillance that is displayed live in the commanding officer's office.

Ryan's statement says video surveillance shows no one checked Brame in person until 12:04 a.m., when a civilian detention attendant realized she was unresponsive. That detention attendant, who has not been identified, notified the commanding officer.

Friedl previously identified that commanding officer as Capt. Thomas Meehan, who took over for Siopes at the shift change shortly before midnight.

Several officers entered Brame's cell and attempted CPR, according to Ryan.

"The civilian attendant then asked if EMTs were on route, and it was determined that a call had not yet been made," Ryan wrote.

It wasn't until 12:18, 14 minutes after Brame was found not breathing, that dispatch records show a call for medical assistance. Once that call was made it took just one minute for Fire Department EMTs to arrive, according to Ryan's statement. The EMTs took over CPR.

Brame was transported to Lowell General Hospital/Saints Campus while CPR was being conducted. She was pronounced dead at 1:08 a.m.

Stephanie Guyotte, a spokeswoman for Ryan, said the recommendations from the DA's office aren't binding.

"We don't set policies and procedures for the Police Department, but our analysis found policies and procedures that we felt should be reviewed," Guyotte said.

Those recommendations are:

* Provide additional training of all personnel to better understand the effects of alcohol and drugs to determine if a person is unconscious rather than just sleeping off the effects of alcohol.

* Address the circumstances and protocols for when medical attention is called to evaluate a person in custody.

Swiridowsky-Muckle said she got a call from Friedl on Monday, but she was nevertheless incensed after reading the statements issued by the DA and police Monday evening.

Swiridowsky-Muckle said she wants to see Lowell police address what she called flawed policies, procedures, and training. She was angry that the statement issued by Lowell police did not address Ryan's recommended changes to policy and training.

In a statement issued after Ryan's, Lowell police reiterated the DA's finding.

"The Lowell Police Department has convened an internal Board of Inquiry, led by a senior Captain of the Police Department, to conduct a thorough and complete investigation into this matter to determine if anyone violated any polices or procedures of the Lowell Police Department, and to recommend corrective action and/or discipline if warranted," police said.

Capt. Kelly Richardson, the department's public-information officer, said the department would have no additional comment beyond the prepared statement.

Richardson, Friedl and Deputy Superintendent Arthur Ryan did not reply to an email asking for further comment regarding the DA's policy and training recommendations.

Friedl has stated previously that she expects the board of inquiry to take at least a month before issuing findings.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sun. So keep it civil.